The priciest one I saw on the floor was 3600 bucks.
But I am sure they had even more expensive models.
You could have got a Richard Sachs custom for upwards of $5K
http://www.richardsachs.com/site/
http://bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.com/2013/11/that-bike-cost-how-much.html
But then you’d have to take out a 2nd mortgage on your home.
Like anything else, the price of high-end bikes has gone up.
But you can find a good bike for $500 or less if you look. Craigslist is good, as are stores that carry bikes by companies like Marin and GT.
There are department store bikes, and they’re more or less crap in my opinion. They look good enough, but if you’re going to put any miles on them, you should probably look a step up. Front suspension is really nice, but rear suspension isn’t needed for most people. Something that can take a light trail is nice, because that means it’ll be beefier and stand up to more uneven streets.
Disc brakes are a must on bikes, in my opinion. They are just miles away from the old style brakes and give you a great deal of precision which only helps.